I thought it was time for another cheerleading break, and this one comes courtesy of the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel.
Who says journalism is dead in the internet age? As this piece confirms, some reporters are still willing to take on tough assignments and uncover the stories that most would shy away from.
What is really interesting is that pro cheerleaders are paid about $50 a game. That's right, for four hours of official work, they make $12.50 per hour. Compared to the players, whose hourly average—again, using only game time for the rate—is at least 1000x that, based on 2001 stats where the average salary is over $1 million.
Now if you average in practice time, travel time, etc. we can assume pro football is a 40 hour/week job, then the hourly pay rate might be closer to $1,500/hr for a player. The cheerleaders, who according to this video practice a lot, go to appearances, yada yada yada, might work 20 hours a week, thus earning $1.25 an hour.
Of course, the players are more valuable to the league, and less easily replaced. But they are also better represented by their union; the cheerleaders have none. They tried, back in 1994, but it doesn't appear anything happened with that idea.
Additionally, some teams don't pay the cheerleaders at all. Young women, kept in sweatshop conditions, subjected to slave labor? This is sounding more and more like a women's prison movie. Which if you watch the video below isn't too far from the truth. Enjoy!
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